Monday, October 22, 2012

Cameron's Sirius Wheat Ale - In the midst of a hectic, stressful week, a delivery from Cameron's Brewery couldn't have come at a better time. Cameron's Brewery caught my attention with a single line: 'hand brewed by beer artisans', showing the great care they take in creating distinct and unique craft beers. Cameron's was kind enough to offer me a sample of their newest release, their Sirius Wheat Ale, an unfiltered ale brewed with Canadian malted wheat, two row malted barley, and newest breed specialty hops, an offer I'd have to be crazy to refuse. Although they had sent me the sample last week, it wasn't until this Tuesday that I finally had a chance to catch my breath and try this new ale.

After a long day of phone calls and apartment viewings, my mom and I had finally found luck with our home hunt. Right when we were about to throw our hands up in defeat and fill out an application for the very-less-than-stellar apartments in high rises we had seen, we found our new home in a very well maintained six-plex, with our unit all newly renovated, with a kitchen that I can't stop daydreaming about! Once again I am able to happily say that everything happens for a reason. Although it wasn't 100% confirmed until Thursday evening, we couldn't help but want to celebrate right after that successful viewing, knowing in our hearts that we had just found our new home for the next year or so. I cracked open the 6-pack of Cameron's Sirius Wheat Ale and toasted to new beginnings! Light, rounded, thirst quenching, and refreshing, with a citrusy aroma and taste, my sister and I quickly became fans of Cameron's Sirius Wheat Ale.

Cameron's Sirius Wheat Ale - As with anything in life, the way to grab my attention is all in the details. Cameron's really stepped up their game by adding cute little messages and designs inside of their bottle caps to keep the Cameron's Brewing experience going, even after you've finished your bottle. Save your bottle caps to be entered into various monthly contests! I was super excited to see that one of my bottle caps proclaimed that I am able to experience a free tour of Cameron's Brewery! Make sure to drink lots of Cameron's this month to try and win a bottle cap ticket to their monthly cask night! Click here to learn more!

Holy Chuck Burger - Holy chuck! That's a good burger! I know I've posted about Holy Chuck Burger in the past, but I can't help but spread the Holy Chuck Burger love all over again, as each visit reminds me that they truly do make the best burgers in Toronto! I absolutely adore their classic Holy Chuck Burger, a double cheeseburger with sauteed onions and bacon, but at my most recent visit, with a big, late lunch behind me, a double cheeseburger seemed like climbing Everest! I ordered the Jr. Cheeseburger and topped it off with sauteed onions and bacon, which still delivered the same sinfully delicious results!

Friday, October 12, 2012

Robin's Birthday - A mere week after my 25th birthday festivities, my best friend and partner in crime, Robin, hit the big quarter-of-a-century mark as well. To kick off her birthday another one of her besties, and one of my close friends, Rommi, was thoughtful and generous enough to book a hotel room for Robin and her boyfriend to begin our pre-drink at and to crash at after partying. Rommi is one of those girls who will always have a dollar store tiara and your favourite song ready to get you into the birthday spirit. More than just a tiara and music this time, Rommi went all out by decorating the hotel in cute and quirky birthday signs, balloons, and even picked up mustache straws for the guests to sip on. Here's Rommi and I looking all dapper, proudly donning our mustache straws.

Thanksgiving Plate 2012 - With just over a month in our home left, my mom and I really wanted to host our family Thanksgiving at our house so that we could have one last family celebration before we have to give it up. Every year, actually make that every holiday, my sister and I complain that everyone always make the exact same dishes for each and every holiday (we always make it a pot luck). This year no one heard so much as a peep from my sister and I about the menu. I can only speak for myself, but I know that having the comfort of that same familiar meal one last time in my home felt really good. The dishes that each family member prepares for our holiday meals will always give me a sense of comfort and remind me of the love we have one another. I have to say, this Thanksgiving meal had to have been one of the best!

Thanksgiving Sleepy Heads - Nothing like a little lie-down after a turkey dinner. Here are my guys Lucas and Kobi having a little lie-down together after our great big Thanksgiving meal. I love them big time. Please note the carrot that Kobi seems to be cuddling under his nose.

Poolside Fall Foliage - On a beautiful sunny Thanksgiving holiday Monday the inevitable happened...we closed our pool for the very last time. Although we kept hoping for that same Indian Summer we were so lucky to indulge in last year, we had to face the facts that we would never again be swimming in our beautiful pool. Taken by the beautiful ivy-like foliage blanketing the pool gates that had now turned a stunning vibrant red, I snapped a photo of the incredible wall of red that shielded us from the wind, extending our time in the pool each year. I will miss my backyard the most.

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Guu Sakabar - My sister Justine and I have always been very close with our cousin Kim, (it still feels weird to call her Kim, she'll always be Kimberlee to me) but with myself and Justine living in Toronto, and Kim in Brampton, it's been hard to see each other as often as we would like. With big ambitions of making it big in publishing and with her undergrad completed this Spring, (not to mention even more schooling this summer!) it was time for Kim to start looking for work in the city. Being one of the brightest in the family, it came as no surprise that Kim was able to land a fantastic internship in downtown Toronto. Not only is Kim's internship a great opportunity and door opener for future work, it also means that Justine and I can finally start seeing Kim on a regular basis! My sister was dying to give Kim a taste of her hood, the Annex, and take Kim to one of her favourite restaurants in the area Guu Sakabar. From the moment me, Kim, Justine, and Justine's boyfriend Duncan entered, hearing the lively loud shouts of welcome from the staff, Kim was loving the Guu experience! We started our meal off with giant pints of Sapporo, edamame, and to-die-for Maguro Tataki, seared BC tuna sashimi with ponzu and garlic chips.

Guu Sakabar - A unanimous favourite dish at Guu was the Kimchi Nabe, a spicy hot pot of pork, tofu, and kimchi that was perfect for a chilly Fall night.

Guu Sakabar You's Time - One of my favourite things about my sisters boyfriend Duncan is when he finds something he loves, whether it's a new song, a bottle of Moet, a TV show or movie, great food/drinks, or an experience, he can't help but want to share it. Guu was an experience that both him and my sister were really excited to share with me last year and now with our cousin Kim. More than just the atmosphere, the food, and giant mugs of Sapporo, Duncan was dying for us to try his and my sisters favourite Saki, You's Time, a yuzu lemon flavoured saki that they said we would love! Not one to be stingy, Duncan ordered a whole bottle of You's Time, a move that, I have to admit, worried me after those giant beers. He assured me that the saki would go down just like lemonade, and sure enough, he was right. We all loved the saki and finished the bottle in no time!

A Cannoli Kinda Day - I can't even put into words how stressful and scary it's been selling our home, packing it up, and most distressing of all, finding a new place for my mom and I to live. With every day comes another let down, leaving us both emotionally and physically exhausted when combined with our already busy lives. I hate that I feel like I've been neglecting so many things that I value, including my friends (Danielle, Alex, Rita, just to name a few, I'm talking about you!), my blog, my goals, and my health, so incredibly drained and overwhelmed with all that is happening at home. On Thursday, after work and another week full of letdowns, I slumped down Yonge street, with the gloomiest of Radiohead songs blaring in my ears, to catch my bus. With my eyes to the ground its shocking that I noticed a menu board outside of a little Italian gourmet shop with chalk scrawled across reading "FRESH CANNOLI!". It may have very well been a stop sign. I had to pop in to get my mom and I the pick-me-up that I knew we do badly needed. It may have not been a new home, but it was the perfect sweet treat to take our minds off of our worries, even for just a moment.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Sara's Goodbye - Working at a pub this summer we saw a lot of staff come and go, but none was as significant and as bittersweet as Sara's goodbye. Sara was one of the most loved bartenders at the pub, and the one I was lucky enough to enjoy working with every Friday. I had so much fun gossiping about regulars, gushing about boys, talking about great food and music, and chatting about just about every other topic under the sun with Sara, so it was certainly bittersweet to hear that she had been offered a fantastic job that would keep both her and daughter secure, and would be leaving our pub. On Friday after working a shift full of "lasts" with Sara, the whole pub filled up with regulars and staff to celebrate Sara's new job! Cheers to your future Sara!

Wychwood Barns Farmers Market - On one of those "sunglasses and Advil" mornings on Saturday thanks to Sara's goodbye party, my mom and I woke up early to view yet another rental. We have seen so many rentals both great and bad, but unfortunately, none have come through for us. It's been terrible getting your hopes up time and time again, while at the same time dealing with this difficult transition. We were let down once again, only 15 minutes before we were to arrive at the showing, when the landlord called us to say that it had just been rented. It felt like a blow to the stomach. Both my mom and I looked absolutely distraught. After some tears and hugs, we decided we needed to take our minds off of our troubles and enjoy the beautiful sunshine. We hopped in the car and headed to the Wychwood Barns Farmers Market to check out their selection. I loved walking around the many different booths seeing the beautiful fresh produce, baked goods, cheeses, meats, and more! One organic vegan stand grabbed our attention with their beautiful presentation. What particularly struck us was their vibrant beet and carrot spring rolls. We couldn't resist picking up two to have for lunch later. Although the spring rolls looked absolutely beautiful...I hate to say that they were lacking in flavour. It really could have used either a vinaigrette or a spicy dip to bring the flavours together.

25th Birthday - After spending Saturday night celebrating my last evening as a 24-year old and ringing in 25 with a few close friends, it was so nice to stumble into my bathroom to see a lipstick birthday message from my mom written on the mirror. How cute! The next morning she also made me chocolate chip pancakes! The best mama ever!

Birthday Dinner - Being the procrastinator that I am, I of course left my birthday dinner planning to the last minute. Very last minute I decided I had to have fresh pasta on my birthday, so my mom booked a reservation at Terroni on Yonge for my family and I. Here's a pic of my entrée, Ravioli di Zio Paperone, homemade ravioli stuffed with duck confit, fig, roasted butternut squash, sauteed with oyster, button mushrooms and parmigiano. It was delicious, although I couldn't really taste fig.

25th Birthday - After years of writing this blog, it's become clear in the numerous blog posts I've written about my birthday that I am not a fan of the occasion. I can't help but fret over my birthday each year, worrying about how to celebrate, how to please all my friends who I'd like to come out, and, most of all, I can't help but worry over the fact that my life seems to be flashing by faster than ever. Each year I always find myself saying aloud "I can't believe I'm [insert age here]!". This year hitting that quarter-century mark, my birthday felt very strange. It felt like a forceful push into adulthood. Twenty-five is five years away from thirty, and that means time to get your sh*t together. As my friend Alex put it in her birthday card she wrote to me this year, nows the time to take your life into your own hands and make your dreams tangible. It's a scary and intimidating thought, but also an inspiring one. My hopes, dreams, and goals have changed a lot over the years but they're still as big as ever and I feel ready to take that leap and make them a reality now. Change is in the air and, as much as I've resisted it in the past, I'm now ready to embrace it and see where it will take me. The above photo is of two of my close friends Danielle and Robin and myself on the end, celebrating my final evening as a 24-year old.

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Birthday Dinner - You can't celebrate a birthday dinner without dessert. Even though we were stuffed to the brim, we had to order one of my favourites, tiramisu, to finish off my birthday meal at Terroni on Yonge. You can't go wrong with tiramisu!

sip & Savour Ontario: Duck Liver Ice Cream Cones - Every Fall I not only have my birthday to look forward to, but also one of my favourite food and wine events, sip & Savour Ontario! For as long as I can remember I have been helping out with sip & Savour Ontario, so each year I look forward to the exciting new chefs, wineries, and changes they have in store for the event. This year was a very exciting year, with four chefs from this years Top Chef Canada participating by preparing food pairings and taking part in live cooking demos. Although there were so many delicious pairings at the event, the one that stole my number one spot as my favourite of the night was Duck Liver Ice Cream Cones from Chef David Chrystian from Victor Lounge. I know, it sounds totally scary. Being someone who doesn't even like duck liver to begin with, I didn't want to try the strange combination either, but after hearing about the success he had with that exact dish on Top Chef, and hearing guests rave about the tasty bite, I had to give it a try. The duck liver ice cream was subtle and delicious but it was really the cones that brought the whole dish together, with specks of nutty sesame seeds baked in. The little bite was finished with a jelly of some sort that was spooned inside the cone before adding the ice cream. It was perfect! I had to go back for seconds to wrap my head around this unique combination. This dish definitely blew my mind!

sip & Savour Ontario: Lamb Manti - Last year the exciting change for sip & Savour Ontario was the addition of food trucks! We received such a great response about the food truck addition, in particular El Gastronomo Vagabundo, that we had to bring Chef Adam Hynam-Smith from El Gastronomo back on board with us again this year. His Lamb Manti food pairing was another favourite of mine!

sip & Savour Ontario: Chicken Noodle Soup Terrine - My job for most of the evening at sip & Savour Ontario this year was to monitor the live cooking demos, a perfect fit for me! I was really excited to start off the evening with a chef demo from Chef David Chrystian from Victor Lounge as he was making another dish that he found great success in on Top Chef, his deconstructed dish, Chicken Noodle Soup Terrine. It was really neat to be able to learn from the chef himself how to make this complex dish in my very own kitchen! I also felt very exclusive hearing Chef David proclaim that this was the last time he would ever be preparing this dish!